Excerpt from a travel itinerary in Xiamen, March 2012

I boarded the bullet train back from Xiamen. The seven-hour journey was quite tiring. I heard that many friends are planning to visit Xiamen soon, so I thought I'd share my experience from this trip and hope it will be helpful to everyone.

Note: This is based on my personal travel experience. Any inaccuracies or omissions are simply due to incorrect webpage access methods.

I spent four days there, which, excluding the train journey, was two days plus one night and one morning. The time wasn't particularly long or rushed. If you want to fully enjoy Xiamen, I'd suggest spending five days there, but personally, I don't think it's necessary to stay that long, especially for those who grew up in Hangzhou or by the sea (no offense intended, just because I grew up in Hangzhou and only have the perspective of a Hangzhou native).

Below, I will discuss the specific arrangements, my impressions, and precautions for this trip:

First, let's talk about high-speed train tickets. If you're traveling in a group, I suggest not booking online because seats are randomized, and changing seats after boarding is a hassle. However, booking online is very convenient. Follow these steps: 1. Go to the website that the Ministry of Railways spent tens of millions of yuan on; 2. Register and then search for tickets (you can book for friends with their ID cards and names, I forget whether it's 13 or 15 days in advance); 3. Pay with online banking within 45 minutes; 4. Before departure, go to the train station's automatic ticket vending machine and collect your ticket by swiping your ID card. You can also collect your return ticket at the same time, but you can only collect your own ticket using your own ID card.

A few more words about the stations: Hangzhou South is in Xiaoshan, and Hangzhou Station is the city station near Hefang Street. The journey between the two takes about an hour and a half. Xiamen Station is on Xiamen Island, while Xiamen North is outside the island. Both have buses, but the frequency is low, and the journey takes about an hour. When going there, you generally depart from Hangzhou Station. Check your destination carefully. If you arrive at Xiamen North, take a bus (2 yuan). If you go directly to Xiamen Station, it's convenient to go anywhere. When returning, definitely don't go to Hangzhou South. I didn't check carefully and it was a disaster. I arrived at Hangzhou South at 9 PM, and by the time I got home from Xiaoshan, it was already past midnight.

The high-speed train takes seven hours, so it's best to go early in the morning so you can start your itinerary in the afternoon. Eat whatever you like on the train, but buy it beforehand. Remember to fully charge your phone, or you'll be driven crazy (GPS will be used for navigation throughout Xiamen).

I arrived in Xiamen in the afternoon. I took a bus to Zhongshan Road for a stroll and had some snacks. I don't know if it was because I was walking in the wrong way, but Zhongshan Road felt just so-so, not worth visiting. As for the snacks, you can find them everywhere else later. Then I walked to the ferry terminal to Gulangyu Island. It costs 8 yuan per person round trip. There are ferries before midnight. There's an extra 1 yuan charge to go up to the second floor, but I don't recommend going up because it only takes a few minutes.

Actually, this wasn't the original plan, but because the rooms at Qin Hai on Gulangyu Island were sold out for the next few days, I had to change my plans. Staying overnight on the island is still a great option, but don't worry about the price (500 RMB for the beachfront, 288-388 RMB at Qin Hai, I don't know about small guesthouses). Book your accommodation online in advance, making sure to check which ones are legitimate. Qin Hai, where I stayed, was quite nice; it's on high ground with a sea view. I checked the room on their website, called to book, and transferred the money via Alipay. Remember to book in advance; this place seems very popular, and it was basically sold out ten days in advance.

After arriving on the island, we dropped off our luggage and went for a stroll along the coast in the evening. It was quite nice, and I also scouted out some spots to plan for the next day's itinerary. The island isn't big, but it's full of narrow paths—a veritable maze. You need either GPS or a map (though even the latter can be difficult to navigate).

The next morning, we started exploring the island. If you want to see the sunrise, get up early and go to Sunlight Rock (ticket price 60 RMB). Inside, there's a temple, a peak, a Zheng Chenggong Memorial Hall, and a cable car. The latter two were under maintenance, so you can walk through in about 30 minutes. The ticket price is quite outrageous. From the summit, you can see a panoramic view of the island. It was very crowded, even though it wasn't peak season (there were fewer than 20,000 people on the island when we went). There are three other attractions that require payment (a combined ticket for all four is 100 RMB). Shuzhuang Garden has a piano museum, which I recommend visiting; the other two are optional. The west side of the island is quiet, with various beautiful gardens to explore at your leisure. The east side is bustling and crowded. The central area has various snacks and shops; check Baidu for details. There's also an underwater world on the island, 90 RMB per person, but I didn't go because I'm on a budget. One day is enough to explore the entire island, provided you solve three problems: 1. You have a detailed route plan and GPS to avoid getting lost; 2. You have sufficient physical stamina; 3. You don't need to go into the sea and there shouldn't be any accidents. By the way, there are yachts on the beach; 60 RMB per person for a tour around the island, which looks quite enjoyable.

After exploring the island, take a bus from the ferry terminal to Zengcuo'an (pronounced with a first, fourth, or third tone) for your overnight stay. Staying in this town has many advantages, such as its proximity to the beach, affordability, comfort, and proximity to Xiamen University, among others. Rooms can be found online or independently; most are family-run guesthouses. There are also many local snacks, such as the satay noodles under the banyan tree, which are truly delicious. Seafood is also inexpensive (by the way, the seafood seems quite good; I've fallen in love with it). After dinner, you can relax on the beach opposite the island.

Zengcuo'an itself isn't very interesting, just a church. On the second day, I suggest renting a tandem or three-person bicycle from your hotel; it's cheaper than outside, and ideally, book it for the whole day. Ride directly to the beach to Xiamen University (or take a bus, as tandem bicycles aren't allowed inside the university). Explore Xiamen University for about two hours; the food in the cafeteria is quite bad. Definitely avoid the Tongfurong Tunnel; there's graffiti inside, but it's extremely long, and you have to take a bus back after exiting.

Next to Xiamen University is Nanputuo Temple, and behind the temple is Wulao Peak, from which you can see a panoramic view of Xiamen. This process takes about two hours, and by then it will be around three or four in the afternoon. It's perfect to go back and rent a bicycle to ride along the Island Ring Road. You can sit on the beach and fly a kite along the way. On the beach near Hulishan, you can ride sea bikes, which cost 80 yuan for two people and take half an hour. It's very exciting.

It's a tiring day like this. If you want to visit Hulishan Fortress or go swimming, you can choose to do it the next day. Xiamen's attractions are concentrated around Xiamen University, so it's very convenient. I didn't go to the Tulou (Hakka earthen buildings) or Jimei because they're too far apart and require a long bus ride. If you're interested and have the time, you can arrange your own trips.

The overall budget is between 1300-1500 (including the 570 for the bullet train; you can save up to 1000 if you want). Make sure you have a budget and book your accommodation in advance (especially on Gulangyu Island). Make sure your phone is fully charged during the trip, as you'll need GPS everywhere. Google Maps has a stable mobile signal in Xiamen, which is not blocked.

By the way, a few things to mention: 1. Bus stops in Xiamen are very close together, some even only 100 meters apart. 2. High-speed trains frequently go through tunnels, so there's no signal. Downloading some online courses or bringing a book is a good solution. 3. Xiamen Railway Station and Airport are generally dirty and chaotic (except for the North Station), but I didn't encounter any pickpockets. 4. You can't even buy the game "Three Kingdoms Kill" in Xiamen!! 5. Paper money is prevalent in Xiamen; it's rare to see one-yuan coins.

Have a pleasant trip!